Complete List Of New Features Confirmed For Counter-Strike 2

Counter-Strike is one of the most significant esports titles in the world. It is a first-person shooter game that has been played competitively since its release in 1999. The game has evolved over the years, with several iterations, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), which is the most popular and widely played version.

Looks like Valve has finally decided to capitalize on the game's success and bring it to the modern era with a Source 2 update sequel, dubbed "Counter-Strike 2". The reveal and upcoming launch of Counter-Strike 2 have caused great excitement among the game's long-time community. It will be a free update replacing the popular Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

In this article, Gurugamer is going to showcase a complete list of new features confirmed for Counter-Strike 2.

Counter-Strike 2's Recent History

News of Counter-Strike 2 has been evolving rapidly in the past month, starting from rumors and leading to a complete announcement from Valve within a few weeks. Despite the fact that Counter-Strike 2 will entirely replace Global Offensive, fans need not be concerned about losing their progress or items. The free update will preserve the content and achievements that players have already gained in CS:GO.

Counter-Strike 2 is scheduled to be released in the summer of 2023, and the recent news of its development caused the all-time concurrent player count of CS:GO to be broken, suggesting that there is a significant level of excitement for the forthcoming game. Valve seems to be responding positively to this anticipation, as they have already unveiled several intriguing new features for Counter-Strike 2.

Counter-Strike 2: New Smoke Grenade Mechanics

One of the major initial announcements regarding features in Counter-Strike 2 concerns smoke grenades, which are commonly used to provide cover and confusion in the game. The forthcoming release will introduce significant changes to this game mechanic. Utilizing the enhanced physics-based capabilities of Valve's Source 2 game engine, smoke grenades in Counter-Strike 2 will generate 3D volumetric smoke plumes that can interact directly with the environment. These smoke clouds will be visible to all players at all times, and players will have the ability to create holes in the smoke by shooting at it or setting off grenades nearby.

The enhanced smoke grenades will also be capable of realistically filling enclosed spaces, such as tunnels and holes, significantly expanding the range of tactics that can be employed with them. Although this upgrade may be considered less significant once further details about Counter-Strike 2 are revealed, the modifications made to the smoke grenades are a noteworthy illustration of the improved physics that will be featured in the upcoming release.

Counter-Strike 2: Moving Beyond Tick Rates

The Counter-Strike community has long debated the tick rates that were utilized by games like CS:GO on a server level. Tick rates refer to short time intervals during which the server calculates player actions, such as movement and shooting, and can occasionally result in frustrating issues. In rare cases, specific in-game actions could occur between tick refresh rates, leading to discrepancies between the game's reality and certain shots being missed or hit unexpectedly by players. This has resulted in a great deal of discussion over the years, with tick rate frequently being blamed for missed shots.

The problem of desynchronized gameplay in Counter-Strike has been resolved in Counter-Strike 2, as Valve has announced the introduction of sub-tick updates to the game. These updates will directly monitor any player actions that take place between tick intervals, providing a more accurate and continuous record of in-game events. The implementation of sub-tick updates is intended to eliminate the previous problem of desynchronized gameplay in Counter-Strike, resulting in more enjoyable and equitable gameplay for all participants.

Counter-Strike 2: New Map Fidelity

Counter-Strike 2 is expected to offer significant graphical enhancements over its predecessor, Global Offensive. To ensure that players' efforts in learning gameplay styles on the numerous Global Offensive maps are not wasted, all maps will be transferred to Counter-Strike 2, albeit with some intelligent modifications.

The maps from the previous game have been grouped into three different categories for players. The first is called "Touchstone" maps, which are the classic maps from CS and have minimal changes in terms of lighting. They serve as a connection point between CS:GO and Counter-Strike 2. The second category is "Upgrade" maps, which have undergone more significant changes. These classic maps have been improved with Source 2 lighting and rendering, providing a higher level of graphical quality with improved materials and reflections.

Lastly are the Overhaul maps which will be completely rebuilt from the ground-up within the Source 2 engine, offering the highest level of fidelity and improved player experience. These changes, along with others, are expected to make Counter-Strike 2 a significant upgrade over its predecessor.

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